Taegan
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Archduchess Mathilde of Austria
Mathilde Marie Adelgunde Alexandra, was born on the 25th January 1849 in Vienna. She was the third child of Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen and Princess Hildegard of Bavaria. Her elder sister was Maria Theresia (1845 – 1927) who married Duke Philipp of Wurttemberg in 1865. Her elder brother, Karl Albrecht was born in 1847, but tragically died of smallpox aged 18 months, in 1848, before Mathilde was born. The family were close to the Imperial family, Mathilde’s mother being a cousin of the Empress Elisabeth, and spent a good deal of time in their company. A distant cousin of the Italian Habsburg line, Archduke Ludwig Salvator wanted to marry…
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Reading’s Bayeux Tapestry
The tapestry hanging in the Bayeux Cathedral was created to commemorate the Battle of Hastings and tells the story of this major event in History. It is generally believed that the Tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror’s half brother, although there are a number of alternative suggestions about who was responsible for the creation of this piece. There are no doubts however about the origins of a full sized replica hanging in a specially constructed gallery in the Museum in Reading, Berkshire. The replica was acquired for the town by former Mayor, Arthur Hill in 1895. The brainchild behind the replica was Elizabeth Wardle, who was the…
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Edward II
The 25th April 1284, was the date that the controversial King Edward II (aka Edward of Caernarfon) was born at Caernarfon Castle in North Wales. He was the 4th son of Edward I and his first wife Eleanor of Castille. His elder brothers John and Henry having died before he was born, Edward became heir to the throne at just four months old, when his one remaining brother Alphonso died in August of 1284. In 1290, Edward I set about planning to marry Edward to Margaret of Norway who had a claim to the throne of Scotland. Unfortunately she died that same year. The same year Edward’s mother died, followed…
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Geoffrey Chaucer
Chaucer was born sometime around 1340 or 1342, to a respected middle class family in the St Martin’s in the Vintry area of London. His grandfather John was involved in the wine trade, as was his father Robert. John had also been Deputy Butler to the King in 1348. Chaucer’s mother was Agnes de Copton who was a niece of an official at the Mint. It is generally believed that Chaucer received his early education at St Paul’s Almonry. When he was around 17 years of age Chaucer became a page in the household of the Elizabeth de Burgh, Countess of Ulster, the wife of Lionel of Antwerp, 3rd son…
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The Eiffel Tower
In 1889 France hosted a World Fair to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. In preparation for this, designs were submitted by around 100 designers, artists and engineers for an entranceway for the exhibition that was to constructed in the centre of Paris. The winning design was that of Eiffel et Compagnie, owned by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who had collaborated on the Statue of Liberty. Controversy surrounded the design from the outset however, with it being described as ‘a belfry skeleton’ amongst other derogatory things by Parisian artisans and satirists and the general public. Not only did many consider it an eyesore, but there were doubts about its structural…
